2l6 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



which, by the by, the monks were by no means in- 

 strumental. On the contrary, there is not an Euro- 

 ptan traveller who has not had reason to complain 

 of hypocrites, whom distance and their acquaint- 

 ance with the country rendered more formidable. 



No one has had better opportunities than I of 

 knowing the mind of perverse men living by im- 

 posture and quackery ; their greatest care was to 

 get their fellow-citizens, whose power they feared, 

 out of the way, and they neglected nothing to 

 get rid of them. 



The superior of Neguade had been informed of 

 the reception which I had met with from Ismdin- 

 Ahou-All^ and of his desire to retain me with him. 

 This plan was not to his purpose ; he perceived 

 with uneasiness thatanotherEuropean, nota monk, 

 was about to enjoy a reputation which he wished to 

 reserve for himself alone ; he determined to send 

 me out of the way. Whilst I was puzzling my 

 brains to find out some expedient which should 

 rescue me from the over-abundant kindness of an 

 Arabian prince, whom it was not my plan either 

 to follow or to serve, the monk, who only devised 

 the means how to be mischievous and perfidious, 

 and who, very much against the grain, had become 

 officiously kind tome, was tormenting himself in his 

 turn how to counteract the Arabian's desire to re- 

 tain 



